The inspiration for our color choices are from this photo:

I think that is to many colours. How about just the cream with green shutters

Anyone else? The siding guy is coming to our house tonight. Thanks!

Bella, I would like to see a lighter green for the siding, and I would leave the shutters off as well. I think the darker green is too "heavy" for your house.

I would think about removing the arched front. Create an inviting front porch. Shutters or not? If you go shutters maybe board and batten style.

We have two chimneys with arches that match the front porch and both sides of the house sort of 'swoop' out to match the arches as well, so the arches stay. If I had the money, I'd do a yellow stucko sort of look on the whole house, but we don't, lol, but one can dream.

I think the rounded arches are fine. I just don't like the shutters with them. When I think of shutters, I see Cape Cod or Colonial. This home has a more mediterannean or contemporary feel. It is a lovely home Bella!

The arched front really dates your pretty house. AI front porch would be very welcoming.

All she asked about was colors, she asked nothing about removing the arches...

OK- so now we know the arches are staying so no shutters so +1 with handymam (love this user name :)

Aww :)

What if I put some decorative iron window boxes under the two upper windows? I wouldn't actually put flowers in them, because the maintenance would be too hard, but just the empty boxes for the iron detail?

And then if I go in that direction, do I want a sage green siding or more creamy yellow? It's so hard to pick a color to go with the red brick and putty colored windows!

http://www.windowbox.com/window-boxes-planters/metal-window-boxes/enchanted.html

Or scroll work sort of design: http://www.bellacor.com/productdetail/dessau-home-me2064-bronze-fleur-de-lis-iron-wall-panels-595267.htm

Bella, the empty windowboxes don't appeal to me. But I do like the scroll work idea for somewhere on the brick.

I think that the Arbor Green siding color is nice. It will lower the contrast between your brick and your siding and make the facade look more cohesive. I would paint the trim in a color possibly the same or a couple of shades darker than the window putty color. Do not paint the gable a different color; you have a low pitch roof, so painting that differently will only make the 2nd story appear squat. I also agree that you don't need shutters. The ones you have are much too narrow (shutters should be the same width as the window). If you should get everything done and then decide you still want them, I think black would be the way to go.

I would not go with the wrought iron planters. The ones you posted are too visually lightweight to have much impact from the street. How about doing some large wall-mount planters (3?), that you would actually plant, on either side of the arches and in-between? They could be black and kind of a mediterranean style (so easy to say; probably harder to find lol)

As for the front door, your porch will appear quite a lot darker when you do the green. How about doing your front door in an accent color (something close to the brick color?) Just an idea!
Gray siding (which would also be nice on your house), but would be similar in tone to the green

This is kind of what I had in mind, but I think this is too scrolly.
http://serendippity-etc.amazonwebstore.com/Hanging-Planter-w-Bracket-Rust-Finish/M/B00238KK0C.htm?traffic_src=FIND&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=FIND&affId=the005-20

I love those planters, Kathryn!!! (And that townhouse, too!). Hmmm...

OK, so was tonight the meeting? What did you decide?

They rescheduled us to Wednesday, the nerve! lol

Ok, I'm back. We are still undecided. Here is a pic of what our house might look like painted cream...however, we are not painting the brick. The reason why I am posting it is to ask about the curtains. I am thinking of doing red as our accent color...red flowers, red pillows and cushions and curtains, etc...and maybe a dark green/brown sort of color for the siding.

What do you think?

Maybe a black iron flower box under the big window, with red flowers.

These curtains (and I have similar furniture on my porch already):

Bella, will you then paint the shutters upstairs red as well? I think that would tie it together nicely.

I love the idea of the arbor thing in the latest pic you provided. It would go nicely in front of that blank section of the wall between the window and arch.

You know, I think your house would feel more cohesive if the second story were painted closer to the brick color. Then maybe black shutters would add a classic feel to it. If you want to go further, really your shutters are too tall but not wide enough. They should each be 1/2 the window size, but really only as tall as the glass (or fractionally over) You have a lot of skinny verticals going on on the 2nd story with the sliding windows and the shutters - I think it would feel more balanced if the shutters were the correct size (but I am probably nitpicking!) If you then painted your trim in a nice crisp white/ivory, it would create a nice contrast to the body color. Your porch could be painted the same color so that it would stay light on the porch but you could do any accent color on the door. Red? I would add shutters to the 1st story window to the left of the porch (same window as 2nd story) and then do a long, black planter under the LR window (no shutters).

Yes handyman, I was thinking red or black for the shutters.

KPD, the shutters are the same size of the window, but maybe because trim and siding are the same color it is hard to tell? I have never liked them though. If we went by the rule of going as wide as the windows, they'd be pretty wide and probably touching in the middle. That's why I went with that width....but again, I've always hated them, lol.

I thought about doing a shutter on that bottom window, I think that would look better.

Oh, our windows are tan/cream/beige...so I never went with white trim because of that. Wouldn't it look weird? We have yellow/gold in our brick, too.

Yes, then white would look weird. The trim could be the cream - whatever the lighter color is. Actually, the siding color would be fine for this. I just think if you went with a darker, richer color on the body it would tie the floors together better. At least from this angle, the 2nd floor is small compared to the roof area and the 1st floor which are so much darker. I would try to match the mid-tone of the brick, or whatever color is most prevalent.

Oh, I see now that they are the same size. I think you're right - it's kind of an optical illusion because the trim is the same. That would all be solved if the body were darker. The shutters would take up more room if they were the window width, which is OK. However, having said that, since you have these, just try painting them. A darker color would give them more presence.

You have such a pretty setting - that's half the battle right there :-)

Thanks, we could just paint the shutters and door (and add a shutter downstairs) and not worry about a color change to the siding just yet. The siding is fine, but the overhangs and other trim need to be repainted badly...or sided. Hmmm....